Forget those bland, mealy versions we suffer with for the rest of the year. Warmed by the sun and ripened on the vine, the summer fruit is full of flavour, evocative of hot days, lazy evenings and time spent outdoors.

They are best enjoyed simply: a sprinkle of salt, drizzle of olive oil and a splash of Balsamic; paired with basil and creamy fior de latte; or in a rustic Italian salad with chunks of toasted bread and a bright dressing.

Panzanella is a Tuscan salad traditionally made from stale bread and tomatoes. Like most good Italian dishes, the key is to keep it simple.

Of course, the star of the salad is the tomatoes, so I tend to go for heirloom versions or cherry or grape tomatoes in a variety of colours. (Picking a mixture of yellow, red and orange tomatoes adds a nice colour to the salad.) These baby ones tend to have more flavour than their larger counterparts. Small ones just need to be halved or quartered, depending on their size; larger tomatoes should be cut into bite-sized chunks.

While some recipes call for other vegetables, cheese, tuna or various herbs, I’ve gone for a version that sticks quite closely to the original. But I skipped the idea of using stale bread — since I rarely have any lying around — and went with one that uses toasted chunks of bread to soak up the tomato juices and dressing.

Although summer cooking, as a general rule in my kitchen, should not involve turning on the oven, I found it was worth it for the 15 minutes it took to make the ad hoc croutons. Tossing roughly ripped up pieces of bread with some olive oil, salt and pepper and baking briefly in the oven gives them a little more texture, even when doused with a basic vinaigrette. Not to mention that the little bit of oil and seasoning also goes a long way to flavouring the bread. I used ciabatta, which I like for its airy, hole-y interior and crisp crust, but most hearty breads will do.

The benefit of calling a salad rustic is there’s no need to fuss over presentation. So, I ripped the bread into chunks instead of cutting them into cubes.

This was far less work — always nice — but also meant the bits of bread had varying sizes and craggy edges, perfect for toasting; those edges bake into varying hues of golden and brown, leaving some more crisp than others.

Modern versions of Panzanella usually include basil and onions, as does mine. To take some of the edge off those slices of raw onion, I soaked them in vinegar before making the dressing. And then, just before serving, I threw in handfuls of roughly torn basil. (Again, less work and for a more rustic feel.)

Panzanella

Adapted from several sources.

For the croutons:

1/2 lb (250 g) ciabatta, sourdough or hearty bread, roughly torn

2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil

salt

freshly ground pepper

For the salad:

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

3 tbsp (45 mL) red wine vinegar

2 lb (1 kg) tomatoes

1 garlic clove, peeled and minced

salt

freshly ground pepper

pinch of sugar

1/4 to 1/3 cup (60 to 80 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 400F. In a small bowl, pour the red wine vinegar over the onion slices and let sit, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

Toss the roughly torn pieces of bread with the olive oil, salt and pepper, then spread over a baking sheet or baking dish, ensuring the bread is not overlapping much. Bake the bread pieces until toasted and golden in places, about 10 to 12 minutes, turning them halfway. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Core and dice large tomatoes — smaller ones can be halved or quartered — and add to a large bowl. Strain the onion slices, reserving the vinegar for the dressing, and add them to the tomatoes. In a jar or small bowl, combine the vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and sugar. Shake or whisk until the salt and sugar have dissolved.

Add 1/4 cup (60 mL) of the olive oil and shake or whisk again until the vinaigrette is emulsified. Taste for seasonings, adding more oil if the dressing tastes too acidic.

Pour most of the dressing over the salad and toss until well mixed. Add the croutons and toss again, making sure they get saturated with the vinaigrette. Add more dressing as necessary. The bread pieces will soak up a lot of dressing.

Let sit for about 5 minutes and then toss again.

Tear the basil leaves roughly, add to the salad and mix until combined.

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